Simon Fraser, Permanent Under Secretary of State, speaks to staff and students on visit to the University

Posted on Tuesday 29th May 2012

On Thursday 24th May 2012, Simon Fraser, Permanent Under Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, visited the University to speak to staff and students.

Introduced by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor David Eastwood, Mr. Fraser spoke to a packed room on issues such as ‘What is Foreign Policy?’, ‘British Foreign Policy Priorities’, and the foreign policy objectives of the coalition government.

Mr Fraser also spoke at length about the ‘network shift’ that is currently occurring and what Britain will need to do if it is to survive as a key player in global politics.

After speaking to staff and students, Mr Fraser then answered questions on various topics including the Arab Spring, the current situation in Syria and the EU External Action Service.

Mark Webber, Head of the School of Government & Society, commented that:

Simon Fraser's visit was a real coup for the University. During his visit we were able to hear an account of UK foreign policy priorities from one of the country's highest-ranking civil servants - someone who has worked with both the current and previous foreign secretaries. The event was particularly valuable given the large number of Chevening Scholars in the audience and the informative and engaging question and answer session. In all, it was an occasion from which both students and staff gained a huge amount."